Improvement in machine or battery guns



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3 Sheets-- Patented Aug.13, 1872.

vB. B. HOTCHKISS.

ent in Machine or Battery-Guns.

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Improvement in Machine or Battery-Guns.

No. 130,501. 5%.5' Patented Aug.1a,1872.

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Improvement in Machine or Battery-Guns. Nol 130,350]I Patented Aug. 13,1372.

UNITED STATES PATmvT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN B. HOTOHKISS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

lMPROVEMENT IN MACHINE GR BATTERY GUNS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 130,501, dated August 13,1872.

temporarily residing in Paris, Fran ce.

The improvement is intended for use'with projectiles of a moderatesize-something larger than the ordinary projectiles which are dischargedfrom pieces held to the shoulder. It may be used with projectiles oflarger or smaller diameter, and with barrels either rided or smooth. Indistinction from those arms which are held in the hand as pistols, andthose which are held to the shoulder as muskets, it may be termed arevolving-cannon. Many previous attempts have been made to produce such,but my invention involves important improvements over any previouslyknown to me.

The following is a description of what I consider the best means ofcarrying out the invention.

The accompanying drawing forms a part of i this specification, andrepresents a series of six barrels, capable of revolving around acentral axis, which extends along between them.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the entire construction, with theexception of the carriage,onwhichitismounted. Thelattermaybe understoodto be of any ordinary or suitable construction, adapted to support itproperly, and provide for its efficient and rapid transportation andmanipulation. Fig. 2 is a crosssection, Fig. 3 is a central longitudinalsection through the breech portion alone. It will be understood thatthis is one and one-half times as large a scale as Figs. l and 2. Fig.4L is a cross-section of the breech part, viewed from the rear. Fig. 5is a crosssection of the same part, viewed from the front. Fig. 6 is alongitudinal section of a portion of the breech part.` This is not acentral section, but is taken somewhat beyond the center. It is in theplane of the axis of the furthest barrels. Figs. 7 and 8 and representdetails detached. Fig. 7 is aview from the left side ofthe gun,representing one barrel and a portion of the mechanism for forcing inthe cartridge. Fig. S is a plan view of the loading-bolt or charger,with the gate above it. All these figures, from 4 to S inclusive, are onthe same scale as rig. e.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the ligures.

A is a stout framework, turning on a center, A1, having a cross-piece,A2, at the front, and a massive breech-piece, C, firmly xed thereto atthe rea-r. B B, &c., are the barrels. B1B2 are stout disks or circularframes, which support them, and hold them rigidly in position parallelto each other; and B3 is a stout axis, which supports the whole, andallows it to turn as required. B4 is awheel, firmly fixed on the rearextremity of the axis B3; and B5 are stout pins, extending rearwardtherefrom, and by means of which the axis, with its series of barrels,is turned and controlled by the mechanism to be described below. Themechanism which turns the barrels operates the loading-and-dischargingmechanism, and also removes the shells of the cartridges after they arefired, is all contained within or attached to the breech-piece0, whichit will be observed, is massive at its front face to receive and resistthe concussions due to the successive explosions of the cartridges; butis hollow at and nearits rear portion. Its extreme rearis closed by aremovable piece, Cf, as represented, it being understood that thecartridges are formed with flan ged shells of copper or analogousmaterial, in the manner now extensively adopted in such cartridges, andprovided with fulminate and provisions for ignitin g the same bypa blowat the center, which needs no special description. c is a stout piece ofsteel, iitted in place as represented, and perforated to allow theprotrusion of the tiring-pin to strike the cartridge. D is thering-pin.- It is mounted in the breech-piece C, and in a chamber formedas represented in the rear piece C', and is driven forward forcibly by acoil-spring, E. The extreme rear of the chamber in which it is containedmay be stopped by a removable plug, as represented in Fig. 3. An arm,D1, extends downward and forward from the liring-pin D, and receives theactionof the cam G2, which moves it backward gradually, and allows itmove forward freely and smartly at the proper time under the action ofthe spring E. G is a transverse shaft, actuated by a crank, G1, whichoperates the arm D1 of the striking-pin, as above intimated. This shaftG also carries a peculiar worm-thread, which is partly helical andpartlycircumferential, as indicated by G3 and G4. The form of this thread isimportant.

Fig. 4 is a vfigure additional to Fig. 4, showing the shaft G and itsattachments in a position differing from the view in Fig. 4, by havingone-quarter turn.

G3 represents that portion of each thread which is spiral or helical,and G4 represents that portion which is simply circumferential orstanding in planes at right angles to the axis. The effect of thepeculiar worm G3 G4 is to turn the collection of barrels Bintermittently, while the hand-crank G1 is turned steadily.

In operating the gun the hand of the attendant is applied to thehand-crank G1, and the shaft G is turned steadily. During about one-halfof its revolution it holds the barrels steadily in position. During thisperiod the loading of one barrel and the firing of another are effected.An exploded shell is also extracted from still another barrel. Duringthe other half of the rotation of the shaft G the barrels B are rotatedto bring new ones into po sition for each of these operations.

The mechanism for properly turning and discharging will now be readilyunderstood. The mechanism for charging the barrels and removing theshells is more complicated. A crank, G5, fixed on the end of the shaft Goperates in a vertical slot in a yoke, H, which is fixed on a slide, H',guided in a horizontal groove in the side. The forward end of this islide H', carries a hook, h., and suitable mechanism for engaging thehook or hooks around the ange of the cartridge at each extreme forwardmovement. During one-half rotation of the shaft G the yoke H, with itsattachments, moves forward. In the extreme forward position the hook hengages with the shell of a previously-exploded cartridge, and

during the return movement of the yoke H` and its attachments the shellis withdrawn and allowed to fall out through an aperture in the bottomof the breech-piece C, leaving the hook h and its spring-catch oranalogous device free to engage with the next shell. on being againmoved forward. The upper edge of the slide H' is toothed, forming arack, h', which engages with the teeth t" of a wheel, I, which turns ona fixed pivot, 17, fixed in the side of the breech. These teeth t"engage in turn with a rack, k1, on the under side of a slide, K', whichis guided in a suitable groove in the side and carries an arm, 7c, whichpushes forward the cartridge at the proper time. M M are cartridges.They are laid in quantities, in parallel positions, in an inclinedtrough, X, on the left side of the breech-piece G. Their discharge iscontrolled by the mechanism, so that they are allowed to .pass only oneat a time down into the charging-passage in the path of the charger K.At each partial rotation of a-series of barrels, B, a barrel in an emptycondition is brought in line with the path of the charger K, and onecartridge M having been let down into the proper position in front of itthe forward movement of the charger K forces the cartridge into thatbarrel. It will now be understood that each rotation of the crank G5, bycarrying the yoke H forward, moves forward the hook or hooks h, with theproper accompanying mechanism, not fully represented, for seizing anexploded shell, and also moves backward the charger K; and that the nextsemi-revolution of the crank G5, by moving the yoke H backward,withdraws the exploded shell, and by moving forward the charger Kthrusts a fresh cartridge 'into its proper barrel above.

It is important that the cartridges M be dropped one by one into theproper positions in front of the charger K, and that the motion beproperly regulated, so as to insure that the cartridge lies in theproper position. This is effected by the agency of a discharge-gate, L,which is hinged at'the point Z and extends along the whole width of thepassage-or, in other words, corresponds with the length of a cartridge.This feeding-gate L is operated by the charger or loading-bolt K asfollows: The gate L is bent at its rear end, (see Figs. 7 and 8,) andwhen the loading-bolt K is drawn to the rear a projection, 7a2, formedthereon comes under the rear bent-up end of the gate L and allows it todrop a little. This it is sure to do from its own gravity and that ofthe cartridges which rest upon it. This movement causes the cartridgeresting thereon to fall suddenly, in a truly horizontal position, intothe loading-cavity in front of the loading-bolt K. When the said bolt Kmoves forward, carrying the cartridge into the barrel, the projection702 lifts the gate L sufficiently to prevent any cartridge from fallingduring the period while the loading-bolt is forward. It holds back thecartridges until the loading-bolt is again drawn quite to the rear. Inthe absence of this device the cartridges M might fall point first,instead of horizontally, into the loadingcavity, in which case thederangement of position would be liablel to prevent the device fromoperating at all, and would be certain to compel a degree of delay inloading which is not now necessary.

In operc ting my invention one man places the cartridges M in thefeed-trough X while the second man turns the crank G1. One-half turn ofthe latter brings the barrel Bin line with the loading-bolt K; thesecond half turn of the crank loads that barrel and at the same timeoperates the rin g-pin D on one cartridge and the extractor h onanother. The barrels remain stationary a sufficient length of timeduring each revolution of the crank G1 to allow one barrel to be loaded,another to be fired, and the shell to be extracted from a third.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a machine-gun, the combination, with thereciprocating slide H', of the yoke H and hook h, when operatedsubstantially as specified, for the purpose of withdrawing thecartridgeshells from the barrels, as set forth.

2. The slide K' carrying the pusher K, in combination with the crank G5,yoke H, slide H', intermediate wheel I, barrel or barrels B, andfeed-trough X, whereby the cartridges are successively inserted into andwithdrawn from the barrels, as specified.

receiving and discharging the cartridges, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my name in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

B. B. HOTGHKISS.

Witnesses: y F. OLooTT, OH. F. THIRION.

